This is hardly the first W in which the line between what a hero and a villain represent isn't well defined, but it is maybe one of the first in which they have to help and rely on each other to survive. Here the sheriff stays the goodie while the opposite protagonist gains pluses as the story progresses. However, from this prospective it doesn't look as challenging and intriguing as it was back in the days. Given the finale, before which the sheriff dumps his really unnecessary curriculum vitae, even less so. The Indians don't quite live up to their potential, they fend 'em off pretty easily, even with a child on their back... Other than that it's a nicely filmed, b/w short psycho-W with good acting that won't leave you bored, but also probably won't have you come back for more.

6.75/10

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No matter how cleverly you sneak up on a mirror, the reflection always looks you straight in the eye.

This nice little western was produced by Robert Aldrich, and uses some of his crew. Maybe Aldrich should have directed it, as it has a good story, but could have benefited from a more powerful directing. 6/10

The opening was definitely fantastic. This is a good little movie that might have been something more if it was shot in color and directed by Aldrich. With that said, there is some really nice B&W visuals and the characters development was handled very well.

B-

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Claudia, we need you to appear in LOST COMMAND. It's gonna revolutionize the war genre. What did you think of the script?

A good and meaty psychological Western that is more interested in exploring the two main characters than merely portraying a good versus bad parable. The sheriff and the gunfighter must travel through dangerous Apache territory and quickly find themselves up against the odds. As the two men continue onwards they naturally bicker and Kallen obviously wants to escape, but surely they must work together to survive? As they learn about each other and come across a dreadful scene that finds them in the company of an orphan girl, the film plays its hand as the characterisations switch in tone.

It's a very understated picture, sombre in mood in spite of the beautiful outdoor locales. Dialogue is sparse so there's no pointless filler, while the Apache threat is not forced, we only get glimpses of them and they become more threatening by just being ghosts out in the terrain. Conrad and Quinn make for a good polar opposites pairing, the black and white photography of Biroc (Run of the Arrow/Forty Guns) is crisp and tight to the mood of the narrative and Miner (being overseen by Robert Aldrich) directs in an unfussy manner. Actor Eddie Albert warbles the title song.

As a formula it has been done better elsewhere, as with 3:10 to Yuma released the same year, but this is a better than average entry into the psychological Western pantheon and it deserves to be better known. 7/10